Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Ministerial Powers

lord macpherson of earl's court: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many ministerial directions the Secretary of State for Transport has given his Accounting Officer since July 2016; and on which issues.

baroness sugg: Bernadette Kelly, the accounting officer for the Department for Transport, sought a written ministerial direction on 7 February 2018 for expenditure on EU Exit preparations. This covered activity related to the Haulage Permits and Trailer Registration Bill in advance of the relevant supporting legislation receiving Royal Assent. The Bill subsequently received Royal Assent on 19 July 2018 and is now an Act of Parliament. No other ministerial directions have been sought.

Eurotunnel

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of the settlement agreement with Eurotunnel to provide the company with £33million over three years, what comparable arrangements and changes will be made to the Eurotunnel Calais terminal on the French side; and who will fundthose arrangements and changes.

baroness sugg: Eurotunnel is obliged under the terms of the settlement agreement to commit expenditure on measures to improve security, border preparedness and improve flow around the Channel tunnel site, focussed on the UK side. Outside of the settlement agreement, any arrangements or changes on the French side will be decided and funded by Eurotunnel.

Dover Port

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, further to their guidance published on 5 March regarding Eurotunnel obligations, whether similar enhanced resilience facilities are being introduced at the port of Dover for road freight; and if so, how they will be funded.

baroness sugg: In general, resilience facilities on port estates are funded by the ports themselves. This is true of Dover, as elsewhere. A range of bodies, including this Department and Highways England, are responsible for off-site resilience facilities related to the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel. These preparations are being done as part of wider arrangements by the Kent Resilience Forum. The Government has provided £28.8m funding this year for Kent County Council for such work. In relation to Dover specifically, we are continuing expenditure on HGV facilities at Manston. Additionally, Dover District Council is among the 19 local authorities which are receiving a share of the £3.14m funding package announced by the Communities Secretary on 20 February. This package of funding is aimed at local authorities with a major port to assist them in preparing for Brexit.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Pedlars Act 1871

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Henley on 5 March (HL14087), when consideration was last given to reforming the Pedlars' Act 1871; and what the outcome of that consideration was.

lord henley: Her Majesty’s Government reviewed the Pedlars’ Act 1871 as part of its work on ‘Street Trading and Pedlars laws: compliance with the Services Directive’ consultation. The Government’s Response was published on 16 October 2014 and a copy is attached.



2014 Govt Response - Consultation, Pedlars Act
(PDF Document, 158.07 KB)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Europe: Immigration

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether (1) the governments of Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia, and (2) the United NationsHigh Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organisation for Migration, and the EU are adequately dealing with asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in accordance with international law; and if not, whether they intend to hold discussions with those governments and organisations to propose possible improvements.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Government has not carried out such assessments. However, we continue to assess more broadly current levels of migration, asylum and migration capabilities, conditions for migrants themselves and the impact on communities. Where it is appropriate to provide support, the UK has, for example, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, made available £500,000 to support a project delivered through the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to contribute to local governments' efforts to enhance community stabilization and social cohesion in targeted locations in Una Sana Canton, following the recent increase in migrant arrivals. In Serbia, we have spent over £500,000 to improve asylum management systems by providing technical assistance and building capacity, again delivered through the IOM. Consistent with the UK's 'whole of route' approach to tackling irregular migration, we hold regular discussions, in both multilateral and bilateral settings, with a range of international partners to promote and uphold human rights, humanitarian conditions and other standards in the design and delivery of policies affecting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and would raise any concerns in this context.

Israeli Settlements

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel has approved 4,000 new settlement units, in particular of those to be built in East Jerusalem and in the vicinity of Bethlehem; and what steps they intend to take in response.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned by the reports in question. We regularly raise our concerns on settlements with the Government of Israel and urge it to reverse its policy of settlement expansion. We consistently call for an immediate end to all actions that undermine the viability of the two-state solution.

Israel: Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the UN Human Rights Council, Report of the independent international commission of inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, published on 28 February, in particular the finding that the government of Israel targeted unarmed civilians, including children, journalists and medical personnel; and what steps they intend to take to protect civilians in Gaza from such violations of international law.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK fully supports the need for an independent and transparent investigation into recent events in Gaza. We have repeatedly made clear to Israel our concerns about the use of live ammunition by the Israel Defense Forces to respond to protests in Gaza. In particular we have stressed the importance of protecting civilians, especially children and medical personnel. We have also been clear that Israel has the right to protect itself, as it is plain that Hamas and its operatives had been exploiting the protests for their own benefit. While the Human Rights Council report looks into Israel's actions, it is highly regrettable the Commission of Inquiry Report does not look comprehensively at the actions of non-state actors such as Hamas.

Attorney General

National Fund

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they hold informationabout the identity of the donor who set up the National Fund.

lord keen of elie: The National Fund was set up by a trust deed in 1928. The Fund is held on trust for the purpose of reducing the National Debt.The 1928 deed does not record who the founder was, and it is apparent from accompanying documents that they wished to remain anonymous.Her Majesty’s Government therefore does not hold information about the identity of the donor who set up the Fund.

National Fund

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Attorney General’s application to the High Court to release the assets of the National Fund has now been concluded; and if so, howthose assets are shown in HM Treasury’s accounts.

lord keen of elie: The National Fund was set up by a trust deed in 1928. The Fund is held on trust for the purpose of reducing the National Debt. According to expert evidence, there is no realistic prospect of the Fund ever amounting to a sum sufficient to pay off the whole of the National Debt.The application made by the then Attorney General to the High Court on 22nd May 2018, to release the assets of the National Fund in order to pay down national debt, has not yet concluded. In February 2019 the High Court Listing Officer allocated a three day hearing during a five day window starting on 18 November 2019.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Capacity

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of communication in assessments of mental capacity, particularly when the speech and language centre of the brain has been affected; and whether they intend to make speech and language therapists eligible for training to become Approved Mental Capacity Professionals in forthcoming regulations.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Speech and language therapists would be expected to have an important role in Liberty Protection Safeguards. This role will include supporting individuals with communication needs to communicate clearly, make objections and to ascertain their wishes and feelings. We intend to work with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists ahead of implementation to establish the detail of the role they will play in the new system.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

baroness kramer: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many non-disclosure agreements have been part of settlement agreements issued by the NHS in each of the last five years.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Information on how many non-disclosure agreements have been part of settlement agreements issued by the National Health Service in each of the last five years is not held centrally.

Nurses: Migrant Workers

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of advertisements placed by the University Hospital of Dusseldorf in Polish newspapers published in the UK seeking to recruit Polish nurses currently working in the NHS by offering better pay, weather and food.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Government has not made any assessment of the advertisements placed by the University Hospital of Dusseldorf in Polish newspapers published in the United Kingdom.However, we are clear that we want the 167,000 European Union nationals – including Polish nationals – who currently work in the health and social care sectors to stay in the UK after we leave the European Union. EU nationals are essential to the proper functioning of our health and social care services, and we care deeply about those who provide the vital care services that patients expect and deserve.

Department for International Development

Sudan: Female Genital Mutilation

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial assistance they gave to the government of Sudan to combat Female Genital Mutilation in each of the last five years.

lord bates: DFID Sudan provides no direct financial assistance to the Government of Sudan. DFID Sudan provides some funding that is disbursed by implementing partners to the Government of Sudan.

Gaza: Morphine

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that supplies of morphine in Shifa Hospital, Gaza, do not run out.

lord bates: DFID is closely monitoring the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which remains under significant strain. We are aware of reports that hospitals are facing shortages in medical supplies and medicines. To help ensure hospitals in Gaza can continue to provide essential services we provided £1.5 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) OPTs Appeal in 2018. This funding has helped treat patients in 11 hospitals which are under extreme pressure in Gaza by restocking vital medical supplies including medicines, surgical equipment, and bandages and helping provide physical rehabilitation services for around 4,000 people.

Sudan: Children

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what grants they gave to the government of Sudan's National Council on Child Welfare in each of the last five years.

lord bates: DFID Sudan provides no direct financial assistance to the Government of Sudan. DFID Sudan provides some funding that is disbursed by implementing partners to Government of Sudan institutions.

Department for Education

Academies: Governing Bodies

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the governance of multi-academy trusts.

lord agnew of oulton: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 13 March 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The department’s expectations of effective governance in multi academy trusts (MATs) is set out in the Academies Financial Handbook and Governance Handbook. This includes the skills, knowledge and behaviours that boards need to demonstrate to be effective. Both handbooks are currently being updated and once completed, copies will be placed available in the Libraries of both Houses. The Academies Financial Handbook is updated annually. Through the Academies Ambassadors Programme, over 1200 volunteers with commercial and business experience have been recruited to join academy boards.

lord agnew of oulton: The department’s expectations of effective governance in multi academy trusts (MATs) is set out in the Academies Financial Handbook and Governance Handbook. This includes the skills, knowledge and behaviours that boards need to demonstrate to be effective. Both handbooks are currently being updated and once completed, copies will be placed available in the Libraries of both Houses. The Academies Financial Handbook is updated annually. Through the Academies Ambassadors Programme, over 1200 volunteers with commercial and business experience have been recruited to join academy boards.

Ministry of Justice

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Buscombe on 13 February (HL13342), what steps they are taking to reduce the waiting time for Personal Independence Payment appeals from the date on which an appeal is lodged to the final outcome.

lord keen of elie: The Ministry of Justice recognises that there are delays in the system and is in the process of recruiting more judicial office holders in order to increase capacity and help to reduce waiting times for appellants. In the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) jurisdiction, 225 new medical members have already been appointed and 119 disability-qualified members have recently been recruited. The SSCS jurisdiction will also benefit from the fact that 250 fee-paid judges and 100 salaried judges are being recruited across tribunals more widely. In addition, we have recently launched a new digital service with a view to enabling speedier processing of appeals and providing a better service for all parties to the proceedings. Information on the new digital service can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/appeal-benefit-decision/submit-appeal

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many farmers are awaiting Countryside Stewardship payments from 2018.

lord gardiner of kimble: Payments for 2018 Countryside Stewardship claims are underway and 20% of eligible agreement holders have received their advance payment. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is working towards paying 95% of 2018 advance payments by the end of March and will issue bridging payments, in early April, to eligible agreement holders who have not received a payment by the end of March. In addition the RPA is aiming to pay 95% of eligible final payments by the end of July 2019. The RPA took on administration of Countryside Stewardship in October 2018 and is continuing to simplify the administration of the scheme as far as possible under the current EU system.

Environmental Stewardship Scheme

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many farmers are awaiting the final payment of their (1) Entry Level Stewardship, and (2) Higher Level Stewardship, for 2017; whether any bridging payments will be paid to such farmers; and if so when.

lord gardiner of kimble: Over 98% of 2017 advance and over 80% of 2017 final payments have been issued to agreement holders. Recognising the importance of these payments, around £26 million was paid in bridging payments to just over 1,700 eligible agreement holders in September 2018. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is working to complete 95% of final payments by the end of July. The RPA took on administration of Environmental Stewardship in October 2018 and is continuing to simplify the administration of the scheme as far as possible under the current EU system.

Animal Products: Import Controls

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Trade Policyon 14 February (HC217140), what assessment they have made of the merits of banning the importation of (1) fur, and (2) foie gras, after the UK's departure from the EU.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government shares the British public’s high regard for animal welfare.All current EU regulations banning imports of cat and dog fur and of seal products from commercial hunts, as well as controls on products from endangered species and from inhumane trapping, will be retained when the UK leaves the EU.Once we have left the EU there will be an opportunity to strengthen welfare regulations further as part of our commitment to remaining a world leader on this issue. This includes consideration of controls on imports, including in relation to products such as foie gras and farmed fur where domestic production has already been banned.

Home Office

Immigration Controls: Lebanon

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government at what stage would an individual who is both (1) a member of a Lebanese parliament or the government of Lebanon, and (2) a member of a political organisation connected with Hezbollah, be informed that they would,under the provisions of the Terrorism Act 2000 (Proscribed Organisations) (Amendment) Order 2019, be denied access to the UK as a participant at the Inter-Parliamentary Union and other conferences in the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: Where it is known that an individual seeking entry to the UK is a member of an organisation proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, their application for entry clearance can be refused under Part 9 of the Immigration Rules on the basis that their character, conduct or associations make it undesirable to grant them entry to the UK. Applications for leave to enter at the border can be refused on the same grounds.Individuals may also be excluded from the UK on the basis that it is conducive to the public good.Members of a foreign government coming to the UK on the official business of their government are exempt from immigration control under section 8(2) of the Immigration Act 1971 and cannot ordinarily be refused entry under the non-conducive provisions of the Immigration Rules, unless the Secretary of State has directed under Article 4(a) of the Immigration (Exemption from Control) Order 1972 that the person shall not be exempt from the provisions of the 1971 Act.

Informers: Children

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 27 February (HL13696), whether theyintend to require the relevant public authorities to report any increase in the number of juvenile covert human intelligence sources (CHIS) used to combat drug crime following the extension of the authorisation period for juvenile CHIS to four months.

baroness williams of trafford: The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 created the role of Investigatory Powers Commissioner, who has oversight of all investigatory powers, including the use, by public authorities empowered under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, of covert human intelligence sources. Lord Justice Fulford, the current Commissioner, remarked in his inaugural annual report that his report addresses a number of issues, including “statistics on the use of relevant investigatory powers”.The Noble Lady is aware of his commitment to report on the matter of juvenile covert human intelligence sources in more detail this year, including providing more detailed statistics. The Commissioner has said that he will consider how best to report on the issue going forward, and his next annual report will provide further detail of how this matter is being kept under review.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the future EU workers visa scheme will allow farmers to employ seasonal workers on part-year contracts for consecutive years.

baroness williams of trafford: We have published an ambitious White Paper, setting out proposals for our future skills-based immigration system, including a new Temporary Worker route, open to all skill levels, to ensure UK businesses and employers have the staff they need, including seasonal workers.Following a cooling off period, previous holders of a temporary short-term work visa will be eligible to apply for another temporary work visa to come to the UK.

Health Professions: Migrant Workers

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford on 27 February (HL13739), what plans they have, if any, to abolish the health surcharge for overseas health workers in order to recruit more health professionals from overseas; and if not, why not.

baroness williams of trafford: There are no plans to exempt international healthcare professionals from the requirement to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. It is right that healthcare professionals subject to immigration control who come to the UK for more than six months make a fair contribution to the running of the NHS, as do other providers of essential public services, including teachers.The Government recognises the major contribution that overseas health workers, and other highly skilled professionals make to the UK. Nurses currently benefit from an exemption from the minimum salary threshold for Tier 2 and a number of health professions appear on the Shortage Occupation List.In addition, on 6 July 2018 we took action to exempt doctors and nurses entirely from the annual Tier 2 cap that applies to skilled workers. This change means that there is no limit on the number of overseas doctors and nurses needed in the UK who can be sponsored to work here. The Home Secretary has recently made clear that he has no plans to remove that exemption.

Migrant Workers: Tourism

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to adapt their post-Brexit immigration plans to ensure that skills relevant to the tourism industry are included within their definition of high and intermediate skilled workers.

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to a tourism and hospitality sectoral exemption in their proposals for intermediate and high-skilled migrants to earn a minimum salary of £30,000 per annum.

baroness williams of trafford: As set out in the White Paper, ‘The UK’s future skills-based immigration system’, we propose to define high, medium and lower skilled occupation by referring to the national Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) levels.Occupations falling into each of these skills will be set out in codes of practices.In their report, EEA migration in the UK, the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended maintaining the existing £30,000 minimum salary threshold. We are launching an extensive year long programme of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, including the private, public and voluntary sector, employers and businesses, as well as the EU and international partners. We are also launching a number of new advisory groups and expand on existing forums, consisting of business and employer representatives, to help inform the detailed design of the future immigration system.

Youth Mobility Scheme

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further plans they have to expand the availability of Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visas beyond their proposals to expand their availability to EU citizens.

baroness williams of trafford: We have proposed a UK-EU Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) as part of our Mobility Framework to ensure that young people can continue to enjoy the social, cultural and educational benefits of living in the EU and the UK.We will ensure that our future immigration system continues to support the thriving cultural exchanges that the YMS cultivates.

Youth Mobility Scheme

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to increasing the period of validity for Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visas from two to four years, or for providing for the possibility of an extension.

baroness williams of trafford: Tier 5 Youth Mobility Schemes provide a cultural exchange programme that allows young people aged 18 to 30 from participating countries and territories to experience life in the UK for up to two years.We are not proposing to increase the validity of Leave to Remain under the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme.

Department for International Trade

Import Duties

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help UK businesses which trade with the EU to prepare for the effects of introducing tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

baroness fairhead: The Government has set out what the arrangements will be for tariffs on imports into the UK in a no deal scenario. It is a balanced tariff policy which aims to minimise costs to business and mitigate price impacts on consumers, while also supporting UK producers as far as possible. The Government has set out extensive information through the gov.uk website about what this policy will mean for businesses and the public, including the legal classification and applied rate of duty for all products being imported into the UK. Businesses can communicate through existing business and trade helplines (details available through gov.uk). The EU Exit Business Campaign has also been launched on gov.uk to help businesses prepare for no deal.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

National Fund

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the value of the National Fund in each of the last 30 years.

lord ashton of hyde: The total value of the National Fund (registered charity number 1046814) in each of the last 30 years is outlined in the table. This information is drawn from the annual return and accounts made by the charity to the Charity Commission. Further information about this charity can be found on the Commission’s Register of Charities – http://beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1046814&subid=0  YearValue31st March 1989£69,300,50431st March 1990£72,653,49031st March 1991£77,709,53731st March 1992£82,498,87831st March 1993£100,763,66231st March 1994£121,911,10331st March 1995£115,238,39531st March 1996£137,805,8615th April 1997£150,190,6195th April 1998£198,319,2945th April 1999£211,483,4335th April 2000£229,684,0985th April 2001£195,273,1505th April 2002£190,712,7915th April 2003£148,667,1715th April 2004£183,275,3445th April 2005£199,826,8305th April 2006£253,825,2965th April 2007£270,696,4725th April 2008£280,633,0635th April 2009£245,436,5745th April 2010£319,296,6965th April 2011£339,804,9235th April 2012£352,367,4805th April 2013£382,135,4315th April 2014£403,289,0535th April 2015£444,060,3815th April 2016£422,092,5075th April 2017£474,933,6045th April 2018£498,762,757